Moonlight
by Josie Gibbons
Summary: she had always loved her friend, with all her heart. but only in the aftermath of a death did she let herself believe that.


Hermione/someone ship. I know who it is because I hate Hermione with anyone other than this person. But you'll have to read to find out.

A/N: this is my first little attempt at Fluff. I love reading it but I'm generally very bad at writing it, it usually turns out crap when I try to write it. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: Yea, I own Potter. And my mother is Princess Di.

Moonlight 

The white tomb glittered in the moonlight, but Hermione Granger didn't appreciate its beauty. It wasn't that she didn't think it was beautiful, because there was no arguing with that. The fact just remained that it was too sad to be truly beautiful, that in her mind the sadness connected to the tomb would forever shield her eyes from the beauty that was hidden in its depth. Taking a look around her and spotting no-one Hermione drifted closer to the Tomb. She didn't want to look at him, she had told herself that enough times, but she just felt that she had to be close to it. She knew that to look into it would more than likely result in her tears and that she would just feel worse afterwards but that didn't seem to matter, because she had to see _him_ for herself. It wasn't like she was the only one who had wanted to get closer to him, just one last time. Ever since the funeral there had been a steady stream of students drifting down to the tomb and then going away again, it had become a part of Hogwarts life, as had the masses of tearful students.

As far as she knew non of her friends knew where she had come tonight, she had told them that she was going to the library to do some research and they had believed that as it was normal for her. Maybe if she'd said she was going to the kitchens or something they would have realised something was up and then maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have been alone. He might have come if she'd made it look suspicious, or followed her anyway, even if she didn't know. No hope of that though, because part of her didn't want to admit how much she felt for him. She hadn't even told Ginny that she liked him, even though they were best friends. It was strange really, because Ginny had loads of friends, but she had hung out with Hermione and the boys even before she started going out with Harry. No, Ginny was _not_ someone she could tell about this, it would just be too weird, could even mess up the closeness of their friendship (Her and Ginny, not her and _him_).

She reached the Tomb and reached up her hand gently to touch it, keeping her eyes averted from anything but her hand, afraid to look into the depths of the Crystal, afraid of what she might see there. As far as she knew no-one had yet looked into it. They had gone to it and touched it like she was doing now but no-one could bare to look into it. After a few seconds Hermione felt her cheeks grow warm and damp, and watched without realising that they were her own as tears dropped onto the crystal, which absorbed them. As they were absorbed music began to play, a beautiful song of sadness sung in the most sweet of voices and appearing to come from the tomb itself. She didn't register the strangeness of the situation though, because by this time the tears were running fast and steadily down her face and she couldn't hear anything other than her own racking sobs. Forcing herself to see through bleary tear filled eyes she stumbled away from the tomb and collapsed on the grass several feet away, not bothering to try and get up, just letting the tears take their toll on her. She accepted that she needed to cry, she'd been holding herself in for too long, all her friends had cried and she didn't understand why she couldn't. Well, no. It was a lie to say she hadn't cried at all, because she had shed tears at the funeral. But that wasn't for the Dumbledore she knew, more because of the pain everyone around her was feeling. She must have fallen asleep because when she next came around the moon was down, though her tears weren't even beginning to dry up when she felt someone bend down by her and reach out and touch her hand gently.

"Hermione?" a confused voice asked from somewhere to her right, but she couldn't place the voice through her tears so didn't reply.

"Hermione?" the voice came again, this time sounding concerned. She egnored him again, because now she was sure it was a him.

"Hermione, please, it's me, Ron. Please…" She recognised him that time, even through the panic now enveloping his voice.

"Ron?"

"It's me Mione, are you okay?" His voice was still high and panicky, though he seemed to be a bit calmer now that she had spoken, more worried than anything.

"He…Dumbledore…He…He, he Can't be."

"Mione, please, He's gone. We know that. Come on, get up, you're going to be drenched and end up in hospital. I came down to look for you when you didn't come back. Can you move?"

"What time is it?" Hermione asked him, gripping the hand that was still resting on hers.

"About two in the morning. McGonnigal was going to send a message to your parents when you weren't in the library, but I said I'd come and look for you instead."

"Thanks." She mumbled. Then, realising that it was pointless to hold it in anymore, that if she did then she'd explode.

"I don't know what happened Ron, I just don't." She was vaguely aware of him sinking to the grass beside her and his arms coming around her. "When I said I was going to the library, well, I don't know, I just couldn't face the library tonight. I came down here instead, I came to…oh, I don't know. I think I came to…"

"Say goodbye…" Ron finished her sentence and tightened his hold around her, holding her to him as if she was his lifeline.

"Yea…that." Hermione smiled slightly through her tears. "I didn't want to look at him because I couldn't face it so I just touched the crystal instead. I didn't look at him but I still started crying. Next thing I knew I was lying here and you were talking to me, trying to wake me up." She paused and Ron thought she was finished but seconds later she continued.

"And…Oh Ron, that's not all that's been happening. I've been going against everything I believe in…Everything. And no-one seemed to notice how much I've been going through and how much I hurt. Even before this all happened I was hurting so much, but no-body noticed, everyone was too busy with everything else that was going."

"I noticed, Mione." Ron whispered, half hoping she wouldn't hear him, and she pretended that she hadn't to save him from awkwardness.

"And then, well, I though, I thought, it's never going to work, and I'm going to feel like this for the rest of my life, and he's never going to love me back, and he's my best friend and even if he does maybe in some strange alternate universe feel the same way he's never going to tell me because he won't want our friendship to be destroyed." Her arms slipped around Ron subconsciously, and he responded, knowing that she had meant every word she said, and believing that maybe, just maybe, that person she was talking about could be him rather than Harry. They sat like that for several long minutes, before Ron dared to speak.

"Mione?"

"Yea?" she replied calmly, though she was sure he was able to feel her heart beating wildly against his chest. He reached out and took her hand in his. They were barely touching but the small contact sent shivers running down her spine. 'Go on, please.' She pleaded in her head. 'Please Ron, you know how much you mean to me, just please, please do what I want you too.' they sat still for what felt like hours though in reality was only a few seconds, and then Ron brought his other had to hers and entwined their fingers. He leaned forward slightly and was amazed and delighted when Hermione did the same and her eyes closed gently. He leaned forward a bit further, and with no more pressure than two moths brushing against each other his lips met hers. He pulled away and she opened her eyes to find Ron looking at her with his cheeks red even in the moonlight.

"Ron?"

"Yea Mione?" his voice showed his fear at being rejected, but there was no chance of that. Now that she'd got him Hermione wanted to keep him.

"I love you."

"I love you too Mione."

FIN


End file.
